The Ebb and Flow of Nature

Travelling has become something very special to me. I love exploring new spaces, returning to old favorites, and being jolted from structure and routine.

When travelling, things don’t always go as planned. This is when going with the flow can be a game changer. Instead of dwelling on what was supposed to happen, letting that go and opening your mind to what is happening can reveal a whole new view on things.

On my current journey, with my hubby, we’ve made it to the Canadian west coast. There were glitches along the way. But we got here. It’s beautiful and totally worth the effort.

It does rain a lot on the coast. We came prepared. We did a long hike day despite the rain. The pathways through the forest make for great shelter and a refreshing, lush experience.

The day after, the rain was unrelenting. We enjoyed a more chill day eating fish and chips, drinking craft beer, and getting cozy by the fire. On these types of days, I read a lot.

Then, we woke to a bright, sunny day. We crammed in several hikes, explored tide pools, ventured into the rain forest, and even had happy hour by the beach. We ended the day with a viewing of the sunset on the rocks by the shore.

As we watched the surfers at sunset, I was pulled into the ebb and flow of the waves. I realized that the days we have spent out here have felt natural. Going with the flow of nature, the weather, our internal clocks, and letting ourselves be has been wonderful.

I’m reminded that even when I go back home, I need to take time like this to let myself be. To go with ebb and flow of my internal guide.

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The Space of ‘Being’

Lush forest lined the open stretch of road, winding into the mountain backdrop. My entire being took a long, deep breathe and let go of everything tagged ‘doing’. It was time to be in the space of being.

It has been a busy time for me. A constructive time. A time of pushing certain passions and projects into a new realm.

Now, I am getting the break that I have been craving. The time and space to be.

We hit the road for the first time in a while. We packed up our car with hiking gear and set off on an adventure seeking the wilderness and planning to make it to the beautiful beaches of the Canadian west coast.

Every trip has the possibility of glitches. Our drive started out with me gripping the steering wheel hard, navigating down an unplowed stretch of road in a freak snow storm. Sometimes you just focus and get through to the other side. It didn’t take long to get past the snow, into the rain, and soon to dry roads winding through the lush forest.

I love traveling to favorite places and to new ones. It’s a chance to ditch the regular routine, to drink in new experiences, to sink into natural surroundings, and to let your being breathe. And that’s what I’ve been craving. To breathe.

The first part of our trip found us in some beautiful wine country and catching up with old friends. It was well worth the rough start.

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Mountains and Boots – So Much Love

So…my hiking boots were stolen. I loved them. They were a gift from my hubbie, and they went with me to a lot of places. Together, my boots and I created a lot of memories. <SIGH>. However, they are gone, and I had to accept that.

It took me a while, but I finally settled on a new pair to purchase. It wasn’t easy, since I have tiny gidget feet. But, I find some really good ones at a good price. TODAY – they arrived! Yes. I put them on. I walked around the house. They are like PILLOWS on my feet. I might never take them off again. I am in love.

In case you are interested, these are KEEN, Targhee III. They have been highly rated for winter (waterproof), traction, comfort, long distance. My hubbie has KEEN and has been very impressed. The price point is good too. I want boots that will become part of me and last for a long time. So, I will let you know how this new *relationship* turns out.

On another high note, I had a week of physical body BLAH, which is not the norm for me. Then, I came through the other side, and it has been AWESOME. Yesterday, I hiked with a friend up to the very top of the teetering rocks of Nihahi Ridge (Kananaskis). Don’t have the route (hiking watch is also…stolen…don’t worry….I’ll get a new one so I can share routes again!). But, it was so much fun. Some good scrambling at the top. And a lunch time view to die for.

My love for my hiking boots and the mountains is deep. What about you? What do you love?

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Self Care

The forest heals. The fresh air infuses life. The sights and sounds of nature refresh and revive.

After a busy time with unexpected challenges, I could feel the fatigue building as I plunged into final preparations for and all weekend reading and writing conference. I did something quite smart that I don’t usually do. I took a day off and enjoyed life. A full day of hiking, happy hour and even a football game, with my husband, refreshed me.

I had way too much fun at the conference, despite the fact that it had to be online. I gave presentations. I went to presentations. I helped host others. It felt good to be part of something that has been fundamental to my writing success.

By the end of the three days, I was cooked. I did something smart, that 9 don’t usually do. I read in bed and binged Shudder (if you’re a closet horror lover like me, check out my other website, KillersAndDemons).

After two days, I felt better. I decided to continue to be smart. I did a bunch of work, then, I went outside into the sunshine, and walked for two hours through the forest.

Am I finally learning to listen when my being needs something? I hope so.

Do you listen when you need some self care? I find having a list of things that I know I love thay make me feel good, and being setup to easily execute on them, sets me up for success. For example, having good hiking clothes clean at all times, a great pair of shoes by the door, and pack ready to go with snacks and sunscreen. Or having books or movies on hand so I can chill. Or having my bathroom stocked with bath salts, candles, and aromatic bubble bath.

Take care, and be sure to stop and be nice to yourself when you need a break.

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Doing What’s Important

Life. It gets busy sometimes. It gets overwhelming sometimes. We all experience moments when there doesn’t seem to be a way to wade through the clutter and do what we know we need.

I suggest a simple approach. 1. Take a deep breath. 2. Identify what you need. 3. Do it.

Even one hour. Just take it and do it.

Today, I stole a good hour and a half and had the most amazing little jaunt with my beloved bike. Together we climbed some good hills, coasted through some forest, and even stopped to chat with a deer.

Don’t forget to breathe and give yourself the gift of time to do what you love. You deserve it.

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Nature Walk and Happy Hour

I have recently fallen in love with nature walks.

Through the various phases and stages of lockdown, my husband chose a fantastic way to deal with closures and isolation. He walked. Everyday. Sometimes for hours.

He even got a rotation going where he would walk with different friends on different days. It was a fantastic way to achieve both mental and physical health.

I started going with him. Two or three times a week, even during the coldest winter days. With the right gear, and right attitude, a dose of physical activity and nature can be good for the body and the soul.

Today I had my head buried in a couple of writing projects. Late afternoon I realized my brain was done for the day and I felt blah. I decided to put on some walking gear and do a beautiful forest loop close to home.

My hubby ended up joining me. Two hours later, forest loop done, I feel revived and relaxed. Time for a home brew on the patio.

What do you do to stay healthy, physically and mentally?

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A Taste of Fiction

It’s Sunday. The Sun is shining (at least in my neck of the woods). Let’s have a little fun.

I usually write non-fiction—on this site. On my other site, I am all about stories. The writing that I do here, on this blog, and in the book that inspired this website, is descriptive. The adventures, the people, the blood, sweat and tears, the food… all of it is captured with a high level of description. That’s how I write my fiction too. The characters come off the page. The scenery seeps from the written words. The emotion. The journey. All of it.

If you are curious, you are in luck! I have a flash sale going right now. Grab your copy, and see what you think.

Amazon (CA)
AMAZON (US)
KOBO

Stay tuned for more outdoor adventures and inspiration!

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Saturating in Summer

It has been a long time since I have posted something here. For those of you still kicking around, thanks for being here! For anyone new, welcome!

So, what have I been up to? Writing, writing, writing! Although I haven’t been posting anything on my lovely bike site, I have been writing up a storm. If you haven’t checked out my new works of fiction, please do. Pop on by my new site – Killers and Demons – for tales of dark crime and horror, with a head bang or too.

Interested in more outdoor adventures? Then stay tuned here. Although I haven’t shared much for a while, I assure you, the adventures are still happening.

We’ve all been through a bit of a rattling time. Our worlds have been turned upside down. Things keep changing. I hope that through it all you have been able to find ways to stay healthy and balanced, to get fresh air, exercise, and to clear your mind and calm your soul when anxiety and stress have seeped into your life.

I am still biking. Through the winter, I had a pretty solid spinning routine going, and I added in some squats, sit-ups, push-ups, all with a weight vest and ball. Basically, I took the equipment I had and made whatever home gym I could. With gyms and yoga studios closed, and fitness equipment sky-rocketing in price, I made do. It’s always possible.

Something else that I started doing was walking outside, no matter what the weather. My hubby walked almost every day through the winter. He chose a positive path to stay healthy—physically, and mentally. I latched on at least once a week, sometimes two or three times. He would pace us, there would always be hills, and we would aim for distance goals.

Now that summer is here, full on, we kicked it off with a bang.

Yesterday, the first super hot day we have had, and the first day that patios are allowed to be open again, we did a 24 km loop that would lead us to the patio of one of our favorite breweries. It was hot. Too hot. I had to ration my water carefully. The walk was harder mentally than physically. I had to take a deep breath a few times and choose to continue on strong with a good attitude. But I did.

We reached our destination to find a cool spot on the patio in the shade, sucked back several jugs of water, then enjoyed a couple of new releases. My favorite was the Summer Saturation, a play on one of their core beers with mango, papaya, and guava. Perfect for a hot summer day.

LEFT: Summer Saturation. RIGHT: Fruit infused Berliner Weisse

So, here’s to more posts here on this site that I love so much but have neglected. Cheers to hot summer days, and cold fruity beers!

How have you been doing out there? What have you done to stay healthy, positive, and balanced? Do share your own tips and tricks on the comments. I am always looking for new ideas.

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Falling in Love

I’m in love. Her name is Kyoto.It’s been a while since I’ve travelled. I mean, really travelled. Long flights, trains, backpack style trekking around the world type travel.I had been craving it, but I didnt realize just how much. I’ve changed. I’ve grown. At this moment I am deep into this across the world adventure, and as I sit here on a train eating a delicious bento box, drinking a Kirin, resting my hiking boots on the foot rest of my train seat, I am totally immersed.We, my hubby and I, are just leaving Kyoto. After four days, I didn’t want to leave. But it’s time for the next phase of our journey.Kyoto stole my heart. A piece of it is still back there in those beautiful mountains as we speed away.It all started with a hike up the remote pilgrimage mountain — Mountain of Peace. It continued with a climb up nature’s stair climber on the Fushimi Trail.The crowds thinned as we made our way up the longer route. I pushed my pace to a fairly unreasonable rate up the winding staircases when Golden Boy — with his young skin, shirtless ripped torso and blond hair — thought he could pass me. Sorry about your luck. This little girl with pig tails and a back pack can push until her insides scream with the right motivation.

The rewards at the top were worth it. A meditative space filled with little paths winding through a plethora of shrines.The icing on the cake, the last bit of melting my heart, was the hike away from the crowds, up a deserted path to a peak that looked down upon the bamobo forest and monkey park. We sat on a makeshift bench of logs and relished in the chorus of birds and insects. Nature’s music.After hiking and meditating in the mountains all day, and taking in the sites, we developed a routine of enjoying the amazing happy hour at our hotel.At night we explored the rather inique and interesting areas of Gion and Pontocho. By the end of our four days, we had gotten the hang of finding the more authentic restaurants and Japanese whiskey bars. It was truly amazing being the only white people in a joint.As I sit here on this train, my heart is a little tender. I fell in love with Kyoto. I don’t want to leave. I know I’ll be back.

 

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